Thursday, 31 December 2015

To complete an interesting year in microbiology, here are some of the most interesting microbiology news stories of the year.

#1 Processed foods alter gut bacteria, trigger inflammatory disease

The composition of bacteria in the human gut shapes whether a person is more prone towards obesity. In turn, this gut composition can be affected by diet with processed foods presenting some modern day challenges.

A new global campaign has been launched called the Fleming Fund, with the aim of harnessing resources to tackle the growing problem of antibiotic resistant pathogenic bacteria.

The U.K. Government is to work alongside the medical charity the Wellcome Trust, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Institut Pasteur International Network, and other global organisations to tackle drug-resistant infections. The new body is to be called the "Fleming Fund."

In a new study, scientists have described the accuracy of three new rapid tests designed to detect drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis.

With the recent series of experiments, scientists based at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, collected sputum samples from 1,128 study participants. Each of the samples was examined using the three different tests. Two of the tests used advanced molecular techniques. These methods looked for genetic mutations in the bacterium’s DNA that confer resistance to antibiotics.

As part of the hunt for new types of energy, especially those that are renewable, microbiologists have been examining the properties of marine bacteria. One species, called Cyanothece 51142, is of particular interest.

Blue-green algae (which are not "true" algae but are cyanobacteria) are ubiquitous. They are found in most parts of the world, widespread especially in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems. The bacteria have a number of interesting properties — one is to use the energy from that captured light, through the process of photosynthesis, to produce hydrogen.

A new type of spiral polypeptides, produced at the University of Illinois, may signal a new type of antimicrobial. The polypeptides target the outer membrane of the bacterial cell wall.

Polypeptides are short protein chains and the attack bacteria by perforating the bacterial membrane. This process of "hole punching" happens multiple times, until the bacterial cell breaks up. The technical term is "membrane disruption." The activity can be confirmed using such techniques as neutron and X-ray diffraction, and fluorescent dyes.

Wednesday, 30 December 2015

Twenty minutes after a meal, gut microbes produce proteins that can suppress food intake in animals. New research has shown how these proteins, when injected into mice and rats, act on the brain, reducing appetite, suggesting that gut bacteria may help people control when and how much they eat.

The new evidence coexists with current models of appetite control, which involve hormones from the gut signalling to brain circuits when we're hungry or done eating. The bacterial proteins--produced by mutualistic E. coli after they've been satiated--were found for the first time to influence the release of gut-brain signals (e.g., GLP-1 and PYY) as well as activate appetite-regulated neurons in the brain.

Mealtime brings an influx of nutrients to the bacteria in your gut. In response, they divide and replace any members lost in the development of stool. The study raises an interesting theory: since gut microbes depend on us for a place to live, it is to their advantage for populations to remain stable. It would make sense, then, if they had a way to communicate to the host when they're not full, promoting host to ingest nutrients again.

Tuesday, 29 December 2015

The complete genetic makeup of a species of ecologically important algae, which may aid in biofuel production, has been sequenced by scientists. This is only the second time that researchers have sequenced the genome of one of these ecologically important algae, known as haptophytes.

University of Washington scientists have sequenced the complete genetic makeup of one of these algae. The haptophytestudied is Chrysochromulina tobin. The organism thrives in oceans across the globe. The researchers spent years on a series of experiments to sequence all of Chrysochromulina's genes and understand how this creature turns different genes on and off throughout the day. In the process, they discovered that Chrysochromulina would make an ideal subject for investigating how algae make fat, a process important for nutrition, ecology and biofuel production.

Monday, 28 December 2015

A fungus found in the mucus of patients with cystic fibrosis - Candida albicans - has been examined by researchers. It has been discovered that the fungal species has evolved to defend itself against neighboring bacteria.

Candida albicans is a remarkable fungus. Its signature maneuver is shapeshifting -- it can morph from a round, single-celled yeast into a long stringy structure, allowing it to adapt to different environments and making it exceptionally harmful. In a recent study, researchers analyzed 89 mucus samples from 28 cystic fibrosis patients, using both high-throughput genetic sequencing as well as culture-based analysis. Candida albicans was predictably prevalent.

What was surprising is that that some of the fungi began shifting into its stringy shape without any environmental cue -- usually this transformation (filamentation) does not happen spontaneously, but is triggered by the presence of certain substances, such as blood. To see if there could be a genetic explanation, the researchers sequenced the genomes of these samples and found a common denominator. All but one had genetic mutations in a gene known to repress the change shape -- called NRG1.

To find out why certain strains of this fungus would have developed this genetic variation, researchers looked to neighbouring bacteria. As part of an ongoing battle between microbes, certain bacteria, which are also found in cystic fibrosis patients, secrete molecules preventing the fungus from changing into its stringy shape. The researchers tried exposing the mutated fungus to these bacterial rivals. Instead of responding to the bacterial signals, the fungus kept to its stringy form. The researchers believe these fungi have evolved to counter the tactics of their bacterial rivals.

Sunday, 27 December 2015

Bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents is a significant problem for both human and veterinary medicine, but little research has been done on the prevalence or mechanisms of resistance in horses and other companion animals, and how such resistance might impact human health.

A new review in the Equine Veterinary Journal reveals that antimicrobial resistance is prevalent in bacteria from horses, particularly E. coli. Also, while methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) can be common in hospitalized horses, it is less frequently present in the general equine population. The emergence of multidrug resistance in many other bacterial species, however, represents a huge challenge for society.

Saturday, 26 December 2015

Few people have saved more lives than Louis Pasteur. The vaccines he developed have protected millions. His insight that germs cause disease revolutionised healthcare. He found new ways to make our food safe to eat.

Pasteur was the chemist who fundamentally changed our understanding of biology. By looking closely at the building blocks of life, he was at the forefront of a new branch of science: microbiology.

Louis Pasteur was probably the greatest biologist of the nineteenth century. He developed the germ theory of disease, which was a significant breakthrough in medicine that ultimately improved the health of everyone on the planet. He was also able to prove that life itself did not "spontaneously come into being" through a series of experiments using a sterilized flask. He successfully showed that life can only be generated from existing life, thus closing debate - so he thought - that had obsessed science and theology for a long time (though current ideas and successes in the field of "creating life" has re-opened the issue).

Pasteur also showed that fermentation - a process used in baking and brewing - was caused by microorganisms. As a result of this work he went on to develop the process for sterilizing milk and this was named after him - pasteurization.

He is also credited with the development of vaccines, most notably for rabies and anthrax. Pasteur was keen to develop vaccines for other diseases. He turned his attention to anthrax. Anthrax was fatal to humans, and could wipe out entire populations of farm animals. Anyone who could prevent the disease would not only save lives, but also stood to make money. German doctor Robert Koch had already found the bacteria that caused the disease. Now Pasteur announced he'd discovered a vaccine, and successfully immunised 31 animals – although recent studies of his notebooks have revealed he exaggerated how much original work he did; he'd actually drawn on other people's findings.

In addition, he identified and eliminated disease in silkworms. He was also interested in the idea of panspermia that was promoted by Lord Kelvin in 1871, and went on to examine the Orgeuil meteorite for signs of life.

Wednesday, 23 December 2015

Bacterial populations inhabiting pharmaceutical grade water
systems were investigated over a fifteen year period. The systems
analyzed were mains water, purified and Water-for-Injection
(WFI). Samples of water were tested by membrane filtration and
the samples cultured using R2A agar. Culture based methods and
phenotypic identification methods were used to characterize the
isolates. The research was undertaken to produce an in-depth study
of the microbiota of pharmaceutical grade water systems. The results
presented act as a benchmark for industrial and pharmaceutical
microbiologists to review comparable systems against, as well
as to present a review of the typical culturable microorganisms
recoverable from pharmaceutical water systems

A brilliant surgeon offered an untested treatment to dying patients. Was it innovation or overreach? An interesting article published in the New Yorker. Free to read, by Emily Eakin

Excerpt:

"Muizelaar had devised the procedure in collaboration with a young
neurosurgeon in his department, Rudolph Schrot. But as the consent form
crafted by the surgeons, and signed by Egan and his wife, made clear,
the procedure had never been tried before, even on a laboratory animal.
Nor had it been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The
surgeons had no data to suggest what might constitute a therapeutic dose
of Enterobacter, or a safe delivery method. The procedure was
heretical in principle: deliberately exposing a patient to bacteria in
the operating room violated a basic tenet of modern surgery, the concept
known as “maintaining a sterile field,” which, along with prophylactic
antibiotics, is credited with sharply reducing complications and
mortality rates. “The ensuing infection,” the form cautioned, “may be
totally ineffective in treatment of the tumor” and could cause
“vegetative state, coma or death.”

Sunday, 20 December 2015

Sierra Leone may have been declared Ebola-free, but the outbreak brought an already weak health system to its knees, writes Jane Feinmann in the British Medical Journal.

The charity Doctors of the World is well versed in bringing care to the most vulnerable people in both developing and developed countries, which is why we’ve chosen it for The BMJ’s Christmas appeal this year. Please give generously

When does an emergency such as an outbreak of Ebola end? That’s the question that the charity Doctors of the World is asking readers of The BMJ to consider this Christmas in the face of evidence that healthcare in Sierra Leone, which was under-resourced and poorly performing before the outbreak, is now close to collapse.

Saturday, 19 December 2015

Infection
Control Today have a free report on ready-to-use disinfection wipes.

The
traditional towel-and-bucket method of environmental cleaning is being replaced
in many hospitals by ready-to-use disinfectant wipes. These pre-soaked
disposable wipes are increasingly used for the disinfection of near-patient
surfaces to prevent the spread of microorganisms and the emergence of
nosocomial infections. This report explores the benefits of ready-to-use wipes
as well as reviews the key factors that impact wipes' efficacy.

Friday, 18 December 2015

ISO
TC209 WG13 14644 Energy efficiency in cleanrooms - ISO14644 part 16 is now at
the draft stage for review.

The
draft states: “Although varying greatly in function and size, the energy
consumption of cleanrooms can be over 10 times higher than that for offices of
similar size. A considerable amount of energy is required to provide large
amounts of filtered and conditioned air to achieve specific levels of air
cleanliness. Air movement fans can account for 35% to 50% of this, due to the
power required to overcome the high pressure differentials needed to operate
high efficiency filters and other circulation components in the cleanroom
system. Production of this type of high quality air can consume up to 80% of
the total energy used in a typical manufacturing facility. Additional energy is
also used to achieve temperature and relative humidity control.”

To
address these issues, the aim of the standard will be to outline ways to reduce
energy use while at the same time maintaining standards.

Those
interested in reviewing the draft should contact their national standards body.

Thursday, 17 December 2015

A
thousand forms of drugs have changed since 2012 in Spain to adjust the dose to the
patient needs treatment. It is one of the actions taken by this government to
rationalize the use of antibiotics in the country, as stated by the Minister of
Health, Social Services and Equality, Alfonso Alonso, who took part today in
the commemoration of the European Day for Use prudent use of antibiotics.

Wednesday, 16 December 2015

A major breakthrough in
understanding how pathogenic microbes develop resistance to antibiotic drugs
has been reported in Nature Communications. By examining combinations of seven mutations in
dihydrofolate reductase that microbes can acquire to gain trimetoprim
resistance, researchers found that evolution toward proceeds along less direct
paths than might be expected, as cells range through a multipeaked adaptive
landscape and delay commitment to a single genotypic fate.

Tuesday, 15 December 2015

Dysbiosis
is perturbation of the normal microbial flora in our body. It impacts many key
cellular metabolic processes resulting in multiple diseases including cancer.
Bacterial vaginosis, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer are
suspected to be promoted by dysbiotic microbiomes. How does dysbiosis ultimately
promote carcinogenesis? Read this comprehensive review on the microbiome and
cancer.

Monday, 14 December 2015

A
review of melanized (black) fungal contamination in pharmaceutical products—incidence,
drug recall and control measures – is a new review article by R. Vijayakumar,
M. Saleh Al-Aboody and Tim Sandle.

The
article summary is:

The
aim of this study was to describe the incidence of contamination of
pharmaceutical products by melanized fungi and to consider control measures in
relation to bioburden and cleanrooms. This study reviews and analyses pharmaceutical
product recalls and offers incidence rates of fungal detection from a typical
cleanrooms. The recalls include some serious cases which resulted in the loss
of life. Of different types of fungal contamination incidences some of the most
damaging have been due to melanized fungi (‘black mould’), such as Exserohilum rostratum. The focus of the
article is with melanized fungi. The study concludes that, from the review of
recent pharmaceutical product recalls, fungal contamination is either
increasingly common within cleanroom environments or the accuracy of sampling
and the level of reporting has risen. The prevalence of melanized fungi in pharmaceutical
facilities rests on specific virulence factors particular to these types of
fungi, which are outlined. The article identifies a gap in the way that such
fungi are screened for using available cultural methods. The article provides
some control strategies, including assessing the suitability of disinfectants
and biocides, for reducing the risk of melanized fungal incidences within the
pharmaceutical facility. Understanding the fungal risk to pharmaceutical
products remains a poorly understood and often overlooked aspect of
pharmaceutical microbiology. This article helps to identify this risk and offer
some guidance to those involved with pharmaceutical products manufacture in
relation to bio-contamination control strategies.